Quick connectors typically include a female connector member adapted for selective locking quick connect engagement with a male connector member. The male connector member typically includes an annular bead defined by leading and trailing annular edges. The female connector member typically defines an axial bore sized to slidably receive a leading end of the male member defined forwardly of the leading annular edge of the bead and a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient fingers adapted to snap into place behind the bead and into engagement with the trailing annular edge of the bead as the leading end of the male member moves into the bore and the leading annular edge of the bead moves into engagement with a radial seating surface defined around the entrance to the bore.
In so long as the leading annular edge of the bead on the male member maintains a generally vertical, planar profile, the male and female members operate satisfactorily to form a firm snap fit connection in response to insertion of the male member into the bore of the female member. However, as the profile or contour of the leading edge of the bead assumes a large radius or conical profile in response, for example, to normal manufacturing tolerances or tool die wear, the leading annular edge of the bead is unable to seat against the radial seating surface defined around the entrance to the bore of the female member with the result that the resilient fingers hang up on the bead and are unable to snap into position behind the bead to form the snap connection.
One solution to this problem is to simply increase the axial spacing on the female member between the free ends of the fingers and the radial seating surface so that the fingers will be able to snap into engagement with the rear annular edge of the bead even where the front annular edge cannot seat firmly against the radial seating surface because of distortions in the profile of the leading annular edge. However, this solution has the disadvantages that the axial length of the female connector member is increased significantly to allow the greater spacing, and the connection between the male and female members becomes very loose in situations where the bead of the male connector member defines a relatively vertical profile so that the front annular edge of the bead seats firmly against the radial seating surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to the provision of an improved quick connector.
More particularly, this invention is directed to the provision of a quick connector especially suitable for accommodating large tolerance variations in the configuration of the male member endform.
The quick connector of the invention is of the type including a female connector member adapted for selective locking quick connect engagement with a male connector member, the male connector member having an annular bead defined by leading and trailing annular edges, the female connector member defining an axial bore sized to slidably receive a leading end of the male member defined forwardly of the leading annular edge of the bead, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient fingers adapted to snap into position behind the bead and into engagement with the trailing annular edge of the bead as the leading end of the male member moves into the bore and the leading annular edge of the bead moves into engagement with a radial seating surface defined around the entrance to the bore.
According to the invention, the intersection between the bore and the radial seating surface is relieved over a radial distance less than the radial height of the bead so that the leading annular edge of the bead may seat against the radial seating surface and the resilient fingers may snap into position behind the trailing annular edge of the bead irrespective of tolerance variations in the contour of the leading annular edge of the bead.
According to a further feature of the invention, the relief at the intersection between the bore and the radial seating surface comprises a chamfer surface extending from a location on the radial seating surface spaced radially outwardly of the bore by a distance less than the radial height of the bead to a location on the bore forwardly of the radial seating surface. This specific relief configuration readily accommodates the typical flaring or distortion of the contour of the leading annular edge of the bead while still allowing firm seating of the bead against the radial seating surface.
According to a further feature of the invention, the chamfer surface comprises a pair of circumferentially spaced arcuate chamfer surface portions positioned at diametrically opposed locations around the entrance to the bore and the connector further includes straight upper and lower parallel slots extending across the radial seating surface above and below the bore, defining the upper and lower extents of the arcuate chamfer surfaces, and defining upper and lower straight chamfer surface portions for coaction with the arcuate chamfer surface portions. This specific chamfer surface configuration provides the desired accommodation of variations in the contour of the bead while facilitating the manufacture of the female member utilizing known and typical injection molding tooling techniques.
In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the female connector member comprises two parts including a tubular housing and a retainer snap fit to an open end of the tubular housing and defining the fingers, the bore, the radial seating surface, and the chamfer surfaces at the intersection of the bore and the radial seating surface. This two-part snap fit arrangement for the female connector member facilitates the manufacture of the female connector member.